The present invention relates to practice aids for assisting persons to improve their swings. More particularly, the present invention relates to practice aids for teaching persons proper alignment when swinging a sporting club or the like. There are many examples of clubs which are used to hit an object towards a target including the baseball bat, tennis racquet, squash racquet, ping pong paddle, croquet club, etc. However, the device is believed to have particular application to assisting persons in improving their golf swing. Because the present invention is believed to have particular application to improving a golf swing, the invention is described with particularity for golfing applications. However, the invention is not intended to be limited thereto.
Golf clubs include a shaft and club head which are used to hit a stationary ball towards a golf course green. The golf club""s shaft has a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, and the club head is mounted to the shaft""s distal extremity. In most circumstances, the club head is substantially planar and transverse to the target line which extends towards a target.
A successful strike of a golf ball is dependant upon the alignment or orientation of the club head impact surface at the point of contact with the ball. If the impact surface is not perfectly transverse to the target line, then the ball will not travel in an intended direction. During a golf club back swing, it is necessary to rotate your hands in a clockwise direction (for a right-handed person), and then rotate your hands in a counterclockwise direction during the forward swing such that the club head arrives at a square position at the point of impact. Such movement of the club head during the back swing, forward swing and follow through, is extremely difficult to achieve. Furthermore, the fact that the club head is traveling at a great velocity makes it extremely difficult to gauge the position of the club head during the swing.
In the past, a great number of devices have been proposed which attempt to indicate the orientation of the club head during a golf swing. Most such devices include the use of a light source that directs a beam of light for representing golf club orientation and golf club swing path. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,149,537 and 6,149,531 describe golf putters which include a laser contraption. A laser diode or the like transmits a beam downwardly from the handle of the club to project a beam of light near the golfer""s feet. Swinging the club causes the beam to define and illustrate the golfer""s swing path. Optionally, the contraption includes an additional glass rod positioned in front of the laser to project a path of light. Unfortunately, when transmitted in a beam, the device does not provide an adequate reflection of swing path. Meanwhile, the glass rod diffracts the laser to present a path which is insufficient to reflect swing path.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,034 describes an apparatus which includes a laser device and a mirror which projects a fan shaped beam along the ground ahead of a club face. The device is intended to enable a user to see the line of light on the ground as the ball is hit so that the golfer can determine whether the ball is being hit straight, with a hook, or with a slice. U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,991 discloses a device for attachment to an actual golf club. The device transmits a light beam which traces a straight line behind the ball during the back swing and an oppositely directed light beam picks up the same line when the golf club is properly swung as the club approaches the top of the back swing. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,080 describes a golf club which has been modified to include strobing lights which are emitted from the club head""s top surface. These strobing lights provide a path of light illustrating the club""s angle and path during the golfer""s swing. Still an additional golf aid is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,429. This reference describes a laser apparatus which attaches and detaches to a traditional golf putter. A prism is provided so as to project the laser into a path of light as opposed to a mere beam of light.
Unfortunately, each of the above-described swing aiding devices suffer from distinct disadvantages. For example, several of the devices do not provide an indication of club head position during the full swing. An additional disadvantage is that several of the devices require significant modifications to an existing club head. Such arrangements are complex and costly to manufacture and may not be readily adapted to an existing golf club.
It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome the above-described disadvantages by providing a swing aid which is inexpensive to manufacture and which can be used in cooperation with a standard sporting club.
It is still an additional object of the invention to provide a golf club swing aid which provides an indication of club head orientation and path throughout a golfer""s entire back swing, forward swing and follow-through.
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, I provide a swing aid device for a sporting club having a shaft. The device includes a housing affixed to the club""s shaft. Within the housing, the device includes a light source for emitting a beam of light. The light source may be any type known to those skilled in the art, but preferably it is a laser diode which transmits a laser beam in a first direction. The device further includes a light deflector positioned in the path of the light beam. The deflector may be a refractor such as a prism or a reflector such as a mirror for deflecting the light beam into a second direction. In addition, the swing aiding device includes a motor attached to the light deflector for rotating the light deflector. The motor rotates the light deflector at sufficient velocity so that a beam striking the light deflector is rotated at a sufficient velocity so as to provide the visual appearance of a fan of light. Moreover, the rotation of the light deflector causes the light beam to visually appear as a luminescent line when striking an object, such as the ground.
The sporting club swinging aid device of the present invention may be affixed to the shaft of numerous types of sporting clubs including, but not limited to, baseball bats, ping pong paddles, croquet clubs, tennis racquets and squash racquets. However, the device is believed to have particular application to assisting persons in swinging a golf club.
To this end, preferably the swing aiding device is affixed to the golf club shaft so as to project a fan of light in a plane substantially parallel and approximately 2xe2x80x3-3xe2x80x3 from the club head""s impact face. Alignment of the light source of the swing aiding device in such a manner is particularly suited for assisting golfers to analyze and improve their full swing. Alternatively, the swing aiding device may be constructed and affixed to the golf club shaft so that the fan of light is perpendicular to the club head""s impact face. This construction is considered ideal for assisting persons when swinging a golf putter.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the club swing aiding device includes a substantially xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped scabbard for affixing the device""s housing, including motor, light source and light deflector, to the golf club""s shaft""s proximal extremity. The xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped scabbard includes first and second ends. Each of the ends are constructed to attach and detach to the cylindrical shape of a traditional golf club shaft. Various constructions for affixing to a golf club shaft can be determined by those skilled in the art. Meanwhile, the xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d shaped scabbard is constructed so that its intermediate portion projects substantially parallel to the golf club shaft. The scabbard further forms an opening of sufficient size to enable a golfer""s hands to project through the opening so as to grip the golf club""s shaft in a manner suitable and conducive to swinging the golf club in a traditional manner. The light source, light deflector and motor are all affixed to the scabbard so as to project a fan of light parallel or perpendicular to the face of the golf club head, depending on whether one is practicing their putting stroke or full swing.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive device for assisting persons in perfecting their sporting club swing.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide a device which can be used to modify traditionally constructed sporting clubs.
It is still an additional object of the invention to provide a club swing aiding device which provides persons with an indication of their club swing and club orientation during club back stroke, forward stroke and follow through.
These and other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.